Product label information matters. Specifically — what you choose to put (or not put) on your label could be the determining factor on whether or not a customer chooses to buy your product over your competitor’s.

According to a Trace One Network study, 40% of consumers said they’d be willing to pay for more a product if the product label listed more detailed ingredient and allegory information.

Label transparency matters.

The Trace One Network, a private brand product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions and transparency software, released the results of its “Global Consumer Food Safety and Quality” study.

The study revealed that only 12% of consumers said they “wholeheartedly” trust the safety of the brands they consume.

“In fact, more than a quarter (27 percent) of consumers do not even trust the information on food product labels,” the Trace One Network states.

“The good news is that consumers worldwide have embraced the value of private brands, but the bad news is that they still do not trust the quality, safety and ingredient documentation of any food brand – be it private or National,” said Chris Morrison, CMO of Trace One. “Consumers are demanding more information and want reassurances that the foods they’re eating are safe – and originating from reliable sources. Brands that go above and beyond to share accurate and reliable product information with consumers will ultimately be rewarded with increased consumer trust.”

From the Trace One Network:

Key findings of the “Global Consumer Food Safety and Quality” research also include:

•Of those consumers who do not buy private brands, 25 percent named fewer choices and 24 percent cited lower food quality as their top reasons.

•An overwhelming majority of respondents (91 percent) say it’s important to them to know where their food comes from, but nearly two-thirds (62 percent) say they’re not provided with enough information about what’s in their food and its origins

While your brand may not be a private label brand, there’s still a lot you can learn from these survey results.

Consumers want more information about the product they’re buying. They want to know the ingredients in the products they’re purchasing, they want to know what allergy interactions, they don’t want to read false health claims, they want to know where their products are made and where the products are sourced.

When designing your product label, keep it honest and you will build a brand consumers trust!

How costly can an improperly labeled product be? Just ask the makers of Beck’s beer.

The company this week was ordered to pay a $20 million settlement to American beer drinkers who were under the impression the beer was still a German import when, in fact, the beer is now bottled in St. Louis, Missouri.

The company was ordered to pay the settlement over deceptive packaging.

The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by Beck’s drinkers who noticed the beer’s label was somewhat ambiguous. While there was no “Made in the U.S.A.” on the label, the packaging stated that the beer was brewed in St. Louis.

Instead, the label boldly emphasized the beer’s “German Quality,” and stated that the beer was made under the “German Purity Law of 1516” and originated in Bremen, Germany.

Supports of the lawsuit said they’re paying an import price on a domestic beer.

According to ABC News, “There was some U.S.-made language on the packaging and bottles, but it was difficult to find. For example, a Beck’s drinker had to turn a 12-pack upside down to find the country of origin on the box’s bottom. Still, U.S. regulators approved the designs.”

Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased Beck’s in 2002– until then, the beer had been brewed in the Beck’s brewery since 1873. Because of cost, after purchasing Beck’s, Anheuser-Busch moved the brewing for the beer to the U.S. in 2012.

Anheuser-Busch tried to have the lawsuit thrown out; however, the company ultimately agreed to settle and denied any wrongdoing.

“We reached a compromise in the Beck’s labeling case,” said Jorn Socquet, Anheuser-Busch vice president for marketing. “We believe our labeling, packaging and marketing of Beck’s has always been truthful, transparent and in compliance with all legal requirements.”

Every household that purchased Beck’s is eligible for a settlement payment. The settlement payments do not apply to those who purchased Beck’s at bars or restaurants.

Ultimately, this case sends a clear message to companies: consumers are reading your labels and they’re holding you accountable for the claims your labels make.

These days, it’s tempting to dress up your copy by using trendy terms, such as healthy, organic, GMO-free, etc, but be wary of making claims you haven’t done due diligence to back up.

Consumers are growing more and more wary of marketing claims and doing their homework to make sure they’re feeding their families is what companies are proclaiming, and if they’re not, they’re airing their grievances on social media and sometimes worse.

In the last couple of weeks, Coca-Cola, the makers of Vitaminwater, has agreed to remove health benefit claims and add the words “with sweeteners” in two places on its label in order to settle a class action suit filed against parent Coca-Cola in 2009 by the Center for Science in the Public interest (CSPI).

“The two women leading the legal dispute say pictures of fresh fruit and catch phrases on the packaging deceived health-conscious parents who purchased the fruit snacks,” Think Progress reports.

The women sued Welch’s, claiming the packaging is deceiving.

“Welch Foods has deceived shoppers by engaging in a deceptive marketing campaign to convince consumers that Welch’s Fruit Snacks contained significant amounts of the actual fruits shown in the marketing and on the labeling of the products, were nutritious and healthful to consume, and were more healthful than similar product,” the lawsuit claims.

Either this month, Kashi paid $3.9 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed Kashi’s labeling was misleading when it claimed its products were “all natural” when, in fact, the product contained “bio-engineered, artificial and synthetic” ingredients.

When labeling your product, resist temptation and be as honest as possible. Don’t make claims you can’t support. Consumers appreciate honest companies.

When you think of social media platforms, you might think of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, but, you might be forgetting one of the most powerful marketing tools– YouTube.

If you’re not marketing your product on YouTube, you’re missing out on a free, easy way to tell the world about your product.

Here are 5 reasons why you should be marketing on YouTube:

1. It’s FREE! Marketing on YouTube is free and easy! You don’t have to be a professional videographer to create a short commercial or video clip about your product– a cell phone video will do in a pinch. Once you’ve uploaded the video, you can share it on your other social media platforms.

2. Sharing a video about your product on YouTube allows you to create a voice and tone for your product. Make a fun and quirky video, or make a serious one, but use YouTube to educate the world about your product.

3. YouTube now allows cards and links to your website. YouTube had made it easy to add clickable links to your videos. You can now embed links to your website from your YouTube videos. This is a great way to bring traffic to your site.

4.Traffic. More than 124 million people visit YouTube each month. Further, YouTube is one of the most popular apps that are downloaded. Did we mention it’s FREE to upload your videos to YouTube?

5. Share and Embed capabilities. You can easily share your YouTube videos to your other social media platforms as well as your website. YouTube makes it easy to share and embed your videos.

If you’re not taking advantage of all that YouTube has to offer, you’re missing out on a prime marketing opportunity. What are you waiting for, create a video and get started today!

Here are 10 tips that might help you get your product on store shelves:

2. Conduct and document consumer feedback and testimonials. Survey customers about your product. Ask them what stores they’d like to see your product stocked, ask them how often they’re likely to purchase your product, etc. Tabulate survey responses. Create a spreadsheet of the customer feedback for grocers to read.

3. Offer your item on consignment. Ask for shelf space but don’t require the store to purchase the product. One the items have sold, the store pays you a percentage of the profits.

4. Ask to do a one-day promotion, trunk show or demonstration of your product. Set up a table, hand out samples, business cards and other collateral.

6. “Donate” a small sample of your products to the store for the store to sell. This offers a no-risk option of stocking your product.

7. Ask the store if they’re willing to stock a small number of your products with a pre-sale or order option.

8. Build a robust wholesale process. Make it easy for stores to order your product. Deliver your product on-time, every time.

9. Dedicate a “Where to Buy” section on your website. Let your customers know where they can find your product in stores and encourage them to purchase from your vendors. This will help promote the store and shows you support your vendors.

10. Make sure your product, logo and label is professional. Invest in a label dispenser to ensure you have a proper aligned, even label.

Purchasing a label dispenser is a great investment in your company. When using a label dispenser, you save time and money, plus, your labels are more properly applied– giving your product a more professional image.

Before purchasing a label dispenser, you must first take stock of your needs.

Do you need a label dispensing machine, an automatic label dispenser, a label roll dispenser, a sticker dispenser, or a semi-automatic label dispenser?

At Dispensa-Matic, we’re here to help you find the best label dispensing machine to fit all your business needs.

Any thing that requires packaging needs to be labeled. The labeling machine is required for this process. This consists of a label dispenser and a label applicator.

Factors to consider before purchasing a label dispenser:

-What size of labels do you need? Will you continue to use the same label size? Make sure you purchase a label dispenser that can accommodate your label’s size.

-Is the label dispenser made of metal or plastic? Look for a well-constructed, solid dispenser. At Dispensa-Matic, our dispensers are made with only top-quality components. All Dispensa-Matic dispensers are proudly made in the U.S.A.

-Do you want a motorized dispenser? Purchasing a motorized label dispenser will help speed up the labeling process.

-Does the company offer one-on-one, personalized customer service? At Dispensa-Matic, customer service is our #1 priority. When you purchase a dispenser from Dispensa-Matic, we walk you through how to set up and use your dispenser.

-Does the dispenser come with a warranty? At Dispensa-Matic, all our label dispensers come with a 3-year warranty, including parts and labor!

An investment in a label dispenser is an investment in your company. Purchase from a company you can trust!

Is it okay to judge a product by its label? According to customer research, it is. 60% of customers often make purchases, first based on brand awareness and secondly on the appearance (label, packaging, etc) of the product.

A label that appears to be professionally made and evenly applied gives your product a more professional and trustworthy appearance.

Your product label (logo, color, font, branding, copy) tells the customer a lot about your product. An unsightly label can be off-putting to a customer.

Paying special attention to your label is vital. If your logo is tired, consider evaluating and investing in a professionally updated logo or a rebrand.

In terms of marketing, your logo is the face of your product. If your sales are on a downward trend, it might be time to consider a rebrand or a logo update.

Rebranding can be done to make a company more relevant or attractive to a new clientele.

Before making the decision to rebrand, there are some factors one must consider.

-What audience are you trying to reach with your brand?

-How can your company stay true to its original brand while creating a new brand?

-What are your competitors doing?

-What do you want your new label and logo to convey?

-What is the goal of the rebrand?

Before making the decision to update your logo, label or do a complete rebrand, do your research and consider investing in a top-quality label dispenser– after all, what good is a new look if your labels don’t have a professional looking application?

Consumers who care about a cause are more likely to pick up a product that is affiliated with or identifies with said cause.

For example, environmentalists are more likely to reach for a product that is certified organic and animal-rights activists are more likely to reach for a “Cruelty-Free” product.

Even if your company aligns itself with a mission, it may be hard to become a certified product, and there are often many, many hoops to jump through to achieve certification, but taking the steps to achieve the certification may pay off in a big way.

When given a chance, 83% of customers reach for a product that is labeled as being environmentally friendly.

Studies show that consumers often make purchases based on emotion. If your company’s values align with environmental or animal causes, it would be wise to seek eco or cruelty-free certification.

Achieving special certification is often a lengthy process, but it’s one that may pay off in the end.

There are currently more than 400 products on the market that have achieved special certifications.

There are many types of labels your company can aspire to achieve.

Single-attribute labels focus on one environmental issue, such as sustainable product sourcing.

Multiple-attribute labels are labels that have been certified in more than one area.

In order to be certified, you’ll likely have to be certified by an independent-third party company. The company will likely audit your materials list and suppliers. You’ll need to prove your product(s) are “green” or “Cruelty-Free.”

Some companies choose to self-certify their product, however, self-certified product labels or emblems often carry less credibility. Consumers are becoming more aware of certification emblems, so self-certification should be done sparingly.

If your product meets the criteria for an eco-label, take the steps to become certified– It will likely pay off and you’ll have a brand conscious consumers trust.